Vehicle on French plates that has been in UK for ages

[ging84]

just saw this
clearly a slow news day
they said something like £3m in revenue could be being missed out on
presumably would cost far more to do anything about it

[GTIR]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

The government is being urged to clamp down on untaxed foreign vehicles after the RAC warned they were costing the UK millions of pounds a year.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28260599


About bloody time.

Why, you do realise there are probably as many UK plated cars all over Europe doing the same thing, right?

I have no problem in tackling cars that are uninsured or untaxed in their HOME country, but as for the rest, live and let live.

I think you're missing the point.
It's the cars that are here permanently when it causes an issue. They are in effect living here, working, paying taxes etc. unless they go home and pay whatever it is in their home country for their cars documents and insurance and then come back it wouldn't be a problem.

So if a foreign uninsured, untaxed, un-MOT'd car hit your pride and joy you'd just say "live and let live officer"?

[FiF]

I think the point is that apart from regular stops there is no effective mechanism to ensure that they are legal in their home country or indeed anywhere. This is because all such checks for vehicles in UK have largely been automated with ANPR and databases due to insufficient police traffic unit availability. Therefore the assertion is that there is no enforcement at least in UK. Probably in other countries too. I have never been stopped or questioned in a uk reg vehicle anywhere from Spain all the way to Northern Sweden and almost every country in between. I did get flashed in France going through Lille by the passenger in a battleship grey Clio holding what looked like a mini Gatso but nothing ever came of it.

Of course the solution to this could be a big EU wide scheme of monitoring and taxation with cross border enforcement coordinated by Tispol.

That should get folks frothing.

[GTIR]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

The government is being urged to clamp down on untaxed foreign vehicles after the RAC warned they were costing the UK millions of pounds a year.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28260599


About bloody time.

Why, you do realise there are probably as many UK plated cars all over Europe doing the same thing, right?

I have no problem in tackling cars that are uninsured or untaxed in their HOME country, but as for the rest, live and let live.

So if a foreign uninsured, untaxed, un-MOT'd car hit your pride and joy you'd just say "live and let live officer"?

No, you will see from my first reply (quoted) that I have no problem with BIB/HMRC removing cars from the road that are illegal in their HOME country (ie uninusred, untaxed @ home), what the article is suggesting is applying UK VED to foreign vehicles that are already legal in their home state, but stay in the UK on a permanent / semi permanent basis.

Fair enough.

Personally if they use the roads on a permanent basis then they should bloody well pay for the privilege.

The fact UK cars are not taxed in other countries doesn't effect me so I don't care.

[mph1977]

GTIR said:

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

The government is being urged to clamp down on untaxed foreign vehicles after the RAC warned they were costing the UK millions of pounds a year.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28260599


About bloody time.

Why, you do realise there are probably as many UK plated cars all over Europe doing the same thing, right?

I have no problem in tackling cars that are uninsured or untaxed in their HOME country, but as for the rest, live and let live.

So if a foreign uninsured, untaxed, un-MOT'd car hit your pride and joy you'd just say "live and let live officer"?

No, you will see from my first reply (quoted) that I have no problem with BIB/HMRC removing cars from the road that are illegal in their HOME country (ie uninusred, untaxed @ home), what the article is suggesting is applying UK VED to foreign vehicles that are already legal in their home state, but stay in the UK on a permanent / semi permanent basis.

Fair enough.

Personally if they use the roads on a permanent basis then they should bloody well pay for the privilege.

The fact UK cars are not taxed in other countries doesn't effect me so I don't care.

Given the fact that in the next breath you'll be moaning ' dey tuk us jerbs ' they are paying UK income tax , NI etc and I doubt they are popping over the channel to fill up every week either ...

VED does not pay for the roads, VED is part of general taxation.

[GTIR]

mph1977 said:

GTIR said:

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

kapiteinlangzaam said:

GTIR said:

The government is being urged to clamp down on untaxed foreign vehicles after the RAC warned they were costing the UK millions of pounds a year.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28260599


About bloody time.

Why, you do realise there are probably as many UK plated cars all over Europe doing the same thing, right?

I have no problem in tackling cars that are uninsured or untaxed in their HOME country, but as for the rest, live and let live.

So if a foreign uninsured, untaxed, un-MOT'd car hit your pride and joy you'd just say "live and let live officer"?

No, you will see from my first reply (quoted) that I have no problem with BIB/HMRC removing cars from the road that are illegal in their HOME country (ie uninusred, untaxed @ home), what the article is suggesting is applying UK VED to foreign vehicles that are already legal in their home state, but stay in the UK on a permanent / semi permanent basis.

Fair enough.

Personally if they use the roads on a permanent basis then they should bloody well pay for the privilege.

The fact UK cars are not taxed in other countries doesn't effect me so I don't care.

Given the fact that in the next breath you'll be moaning ' dey tuk us jerbs ' they are paying UK income tax , NI etc and I doubt they are popping over the channel to fill up every week either ...

VED does not pay for the roads, VED is part of general taxation.

Yes, but you pay it if you have a car - so pay for using roads.

Don't try and belittle someone having a reasonable discussion in a thread. It won't make you many friends. Smart arse.

[FiF]

Just to refresh an old thread and appraise you guys of things changing.

Operation Jessica



CMPG officers along with DVSA & HMRC are out this morning on Op Jessica enforcing foreign vehicle legislation.

6 vehicles seized so far this morning incl two arrests one for carrying weapons.

[sunbeam alpine]

I'm British, currently living in Belgium, and therefore my cars are on Belgian plates.

Over here, the car is insured, not the driver, so anyone can drive my car and be fully legal.

I've often allowed friends to drive my cars when visiting the UK (sometimes because one of my friends doesn't drink).

Is this really illegal?

[Gareth79]

sunbeam alpine said:

I'm British, currently living in Belgium, and therefore my cars are on Belgian plates.

Over here, the car is insured, not the driver, so anyone can drive my car and be fully legal.

I've often allowed friends to drive my cars when visiting the UK (sometimes because one of my friends doesn't drink).

Is this really illegal?

Very likely not illegal. As other people pointed out, the leaflet linked to was aimed at people importing cars to the UK and was talking in very general terms.

[Red Devil]

There's a Hungarian registered l/h drive Focus ST near me. I have no idea how often it returns across the Channel but the car and owner have been here for over 3 years. Is his use in the UK breaking any laws/regulations? I have no idea tbh, maybe I should strike up a conversation and find out.

For more than 9 months now it has sported a whacking great crease in the panel behind the driver's door. I wonder why an otherwise immaculate car hasn't been repaired. I have yet to encounter him out on the road. I'll be keeping well clear if I do!

[Cliftonite]

FiF said:

Just to refresh an old thread and appraise you guys of things changing.

Operation Jessica


CMPG officers along with DVSA & HMRC are out this morning on Op Jessica enforcing foreign vehicle legislation.

6 vehicles seized so far this morning incl two arrests one for carrying weapons.

That'll be 'apprise' then?

A P Dent, Esq.

http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/app...

[FiF]

Cliftonite said:

FiF said:

Just to refresh an old thread and appraise you guys of things changing.

Operation Jessica


CMPG officers along with DVSA & HMRC are out this morning on Op Jessica enforcing foreign vehicle legislation.

6 vehicles seized so far this morning incl two arrests one for carrying weapons.

That'll be 'apprise' then?

A P Dent, Esq.

http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/app...

Yep probably my mistake but in these days of auto correct who knows.

Grammar and spelling police ever vigilant.

[Andehh]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

TUS373 said:

We have noticed a car in the vicinity that is on French plates, left hand drive, but been around for about a year. The owner is, I suspect, a woman in her 60s who married someone in France, but came over here in the car and has lent it to her son in law. It is always kept in the same place overnight and seems to have become his daily driver. It therefore has become a bit of a permanent fixture rather than something that is here for a few weeks then disappears for months on end.

I am fairly confident that this is the correct assessment of the situation. I was wondering what the position is with VED and insurance for use like this. Do French cars have their own road tax and if so would it be valid here for months and months or are the users taking the mickey? Is this a matter for plod, after all, we pay our VED to use our roads?

My honest advice would be to mind your own business

All well & true until he has an accident, then good luck trying to sort it with the insurance....

[The Mad Monk]

kapiteinlangzaam said:

My honest advice would be to mind your own business

My honest advice would be to report them to the authorities.

If they have done nothing wrong, then they have nothing to worry about. If they are guilty of some offence then let the due processes of law take their course.

[HertsBiker]

Moot. Moot point. Sorry, had to join the big boys club one day and criticise..I'll shut up now about that. Foreign plate? Dob it in. Bet it isn't insured at all and relying on luck to wing it.

[Finlandia]

Roo said:

Stedman said:

So you're saying I can't drive my parents cars, which are French registered, when they are over here.

I think not.

Are you a UK resident with a UK licence?

If I'm a UK resident with a non UK EU licence, then what?

[EU_Foreigner]

Same here, and I drive my family's cars when they come and visit me in the UK as they hate driving here (white van man trying to take mirrors off in small country lanes tends to be the main reason for that).

[FiF]

The Govt information is, as usual, fairly light.

This seems to be a good guide.
http://www.hughesguides.com/foreignvehicles.pdf

[EU_Foreigner]

Very light indeed as it does not cover the situation where a UK resident borrows a friend's car (say a French friend) to bring back some furniture from France or so.

[Cooperman]

I think it does, it deems it illegal if the driver is a UK resident.

The exception not mentioned is where a non-EU vehicle is temporarily imported into the EU as a 'means of transport' for the non EU resident owner or another non-EU person driving with the owner's permission. In this case the 'means of transport' may be used within the EU by persons resident with the EU and nominated by the owner prior to temporary importation. HMRC Document 308 explains this in detail. I drove a California registered car last Summer temporarily imported by my American friend and HMRC had me as a named user of the vehicle in the UK & the EU.